RFC 2411 (rfc2411) - Page 2 of 11

IP Security Document Roadmap

RFC 2411              IP Security Document Roadmap         November 1998


1. Introduction

   This document is intended to provide guidelines for the development
   of collateral specifications describing the use of new encryption and
   authentication algorithms with the ESP protocol, described in [ESP]
   and new authentication algorithms used with the AH protocol,
   described in [AH].  ESP and AH are part of the IP Security
   architecture described in [Arch].  There is a requirement for a
   well-known procedure that can be used to add new encryption
   algorithms or authentication algorithms to ESP and AH, not only while
   the initial document set is undergoing development but after the base
   documents have achieved RFC status.  Following the guidelines
   discussed below simplifies adding new algorithms and reduces that
   amount of redundant documentation.

   The goal in writing a new Encryption Algorithm or Authentication
   Algorithm document is to concentrate on the application of the
   specific algorithm within ESP and AH.  General ESP and AH concepts,
   definitions, and issues are covered in the ESP and AH documents. The
   algorithms themselves are not described in these documents.  This
   gives us the capability to add new algorithms and also specify how
   any given algorithm might interact with other algorithms. The intent
   is to achieve the goal of avoiding duplication of information and
   excessive numbers of documents, the so-called "draft explosion"
   effect.

2. Interrelationship of IPsec Documents

   The documents describing the set of IPsec protocols are divided into
   seven groups.  This is illustrated in Figure 1.  There is a main
   Architecture document which broadly covers the general concepts,
   security requirements, definitions, and mechanisms defining IPsec
   technology.

   There is an ESP Protocol document and an AH Protocol document which
   covers the packet format and general issues regarding the respective
   protocols.  These protocol documents also contain default values if
   appropriate, such as the default padding contents, and mandatory to
   implement algorithms.  These documents dictate some of the values in
   the Domain Of Interpretation document [DOI].  Note the DOI document
   is itself part of the IANA Assigned Numbers mechanism and so the
   values described in the DOI are well-known.  See [DOI] for more
   information on the mechanism.

   The "Encryption Algorithm" document set, shown on the left, is the
   set of documents describing how various encryption algorithms are
   used for ESP.  These documents are intended to fit in this roadmap,
   and should avoid overlap with the ESP protocol document and with the



Thayer, et. al.              Informational